Mauve is a pale purple color that has similarities to pastel purple shades. However, mauve is its own distinct color with a complex history and unique characteristics that set it apart from other purple hues. In this article, we’ll explore what defines mauve, how it relates to purple and pastels, and examine key differences that make mauve stand out.
Defining Mauve
Mauve is a light purple with a grayish tint. The first known use of the word mauve to describe this pale purple shade was in 1858. It was coined after the French name for the mallow flower (malva sylvestris), which has petals close to this hue.
Some key characteristics of mauve color:
| Hue Family | Purple |
| Hex Code | #E0B0FF |
| RGB Values | R: 224, G: 176, B: 255 |
| CMYK Values | C: 12%, M: 31%, Y: 0%, K: 0% |
As a purple shade, mauve sits between red-violet and blue-violet on the color wheel. However, it differs from richer or brighter purples by being softer, paler, and subtler. The grayish undertone muted the color slightly.
How Mauve Relates to Purple
While mauve has distinct qualities, it is still considered a lighter purple shade. Examining how mauve fits into the broad purple color family can help us understand its relationship to other purples.
Purple Color Wheel Position
All purple shades by definition are combinations of red and blue. On the color wheel, purple sits between the primary colors of red and blue. Mauve fits into the purple family by also blending red and blue, just with more red-violet than blue-violet.
Purple Pigment Origins
Purples get their coloring from pigments. Historically, the rare and expensive Tyrian purple dye, made from seashells, defined purple. Modern purples use synthetic pigments. Mauve takes its purple pedigree from similar modern pigments, rather than the classic shellfish dye.
Purple Color Symbolism
Purple is associated with royalty, spirituality, mystery, and creativity. Darker purples like violet connect to luxury and ambition. Lighter purples like lilac and mauve represent softness and femininity. Mauve borrows some symbolic meanings from the broader purple family.
Naming Convention
Having “purple” in its name links it to other purple shades. Mauve is sometimes called pale purple or light purple in recognition of its purple genetics. This naming reinforces its connection to the purple family while distinguishing its lighter tone.
Comparing Mauve and Purple
While closely related, examining mauve and purple side-by-side reveals some important differences:
| Color | Mauve | Purple |
| Brightness | Low-key, soft | Can range from bright to muted |
| Saturation | Low saturation or mutedness | Can be saturated or less saturated |
| Lightness | Very light | Runs full gamut from light to dark |
| Undertones | Grayish | Can lean red, blue, or neutral |
As this comparison shows, mauve differentiates itself by always being a light, muted, soft purple with gray undertones. The purple family as a whole is extremely diverse, containing vivid, dark, and neutral shades. So mauve occupies just one small niche on the purple spectrum.
Is Mauve a Pastel?
With its inherently light and soft traits, mauve shares similarities with pastel shades. But does this make it definitively a pastel purple? Looking closer at pastel color characteristics sheds more light.
Defining Pastels
Pastels are colors with high tinting – they are pale, light, and soft. They contain a large percentage of white pigment. Pastels display low saturation – the colors are muted rather than being vivid. Pink, peach, mint, and lavender are some common pastel shades.
Comparing Mauve and Pastels
There are clear overlaps between mauve’s qualities and standard pastel characteristics:
| Mauve | Pastels | |
| Lightness | Very light | Very light |
| Saturation | Low | Low |
| Brightness | Soft, not bright | Soft, not bright |
However, not all pastels have a grayish undertone like mauve does. And pastels span many color families, while mauve lives exclusively in the purple family.
Is Mauve Considered a Pastel?
Based on its lightness and softness, mauve fits the criteria for a pastel color. Its grayish undertone gives it a hazier, more muted effect than a typical pale purple. Most color experts consider mauve to be a purple pastel shade. It lives on the intersection between pastels and purples.
Unique Characteristics of Mauve
While mauve shares common ground with purples and pastels, some of its unique traits set it apart:
Gray Undertone
Unlike most purples, mauve has a gray undertone that dilutes the purple base and gives it a softer look. The grayness provides a haze that makes mauve come across as dainty and delicate.
Name Recognition
Having an exclusive name, not just “light purple”, gives mauve special status as its own color rather than just a pale version of purple. Other purples are defined by their darkness, like eggplant, or modifiers like periwinkle.
Victorian Color Trend
Mauve became a fashionable new color in 1856 after the accidental synthesis of the first aniline dye, mauveine. Queen Victoria herself loved the new shade, making it hugely popular in the Victorian era.
Using Mauve in Design and Fashion
Mauve offers some unique possibilities for using light purple in an elegant way:
| Design Fields | Mauve Uses & Pairings |
| Interior Design | – Textiles, wallpaints, accents – Pairs well with grays, blues |
| Landscaping | – Flower variety (mauve roses) – Complements greens, whites |
| Fashion | – Delicate silk, chiffon, lace – Looks great on blonde, redheads – Goes with neutrals like tan, ivory |
| Cosmetics | – Flattering eye shadows – Works for lipgloss, blush – Alternative to bold purple |
The muted delicacy of mauve allows it to thrive in settings where bold purples might overwhelm. It also flatters lighter complexions.
Mauve vs. Other Purple Varieties
Comparing mauve against other specific shades of purple illustrates what makes it distinct:
Mauve vs Lilac
| Mauve | Lilac | |
| Undertones | Grayish | Pinkish |
| Hue | Purple-pink | Purple-blue |
| Vibrancy | Muted | Slightly brighter |
While both are pastel purples, mauve is softer and hazier with its grayness while lilac has a bolder play of light purple and pink.
Mauve vs Lavender
| Mauve | Lavender | |
| Lightness | Very light | Less tinted |
| Undertone | Gray | Neutral to warm |
| Uses | Color accent | Herbal theme |
Both are soft pastel purples but lavender, with its association with the herb, feels bolder. Mauve is used more directly as a delicate color accent.
Conclusion
Mauve occupies a niche as a soft, elegant pastel purple with unique associations with Victorian fashion. While closely tied to the broader purple family, its light grayish qualities make mauve distinct from other purples. Understanding mauve’s relationship to purples and pastels and its signature traits helps us properly use this delicate tinted purple. Mauve may be a pale purple, but it stands on its own as a sophisticated design shade.
